“Promises of Starlight,” episode 9

Written by Thea Washington

None of the characters in “Promises of Starlight” represent any person living or dead.

The character “Rock Star”/”Angel” is based on Adam Lambert. The author does not in any way wish to disturb or predict Mr. Lambert’s life through the characters in this story.

All videos are to be enjoyed through their link to YouTube. They are not to be downloaded. No claims are made on the videos by the author.

Chapter 9 – TWIN AND NIECY’S LESSONS

Son and Daughter were having a great time at school. For the first time they were making friends with kids of parents outside of Papa’s and Daddy’s worlds. There were the usual entertainment professions represented among the parents, like agents and managers. And other “rich kids.” But kids with regular parents who weren’t in the industry were kind of new. There were even some kids on scholarships. Niecy was wide-eyed. With her background, she especially had a lot to learn—and not just from books. This was a very, very different life for her.

At their new townhome Twin was having a hard time, too, learning how to be around people who were outside of her former “bidness.” The story had made the papers everywhere so, when people found out who she was, they were either too fascinated by her or they kept away from her. On top of that she was learning how to maintain a real home for her and her little girl. Cleaning up and grocery-shopping and laundry and paying bills on time weren’t things she knew how to do. Or that she liked doing.

It was the same for Niecy at school. Since she’d never been to “real” school, she was put in two grades behind where the other kids her age were. That meant she was in a special class for children who had “challenges.” The other kids could be brutal sometimes, making fun of the ones in “those” classes. Even some of the ones who didn’t like the bullying went along with it because they were afraid that, if they said anything in defense of the bullied kids, they’d be bullied, too.

Both Twin and Niecy were lonely.

Nobody around them really understood the life they’d come from and neither of them had any real idea how to deal with the people they were around now. Niecy dealt with it by first becoming known as a real “bad ass” and putting her own little “gang” together. She taught them how to fight, how to curse and how to deal with bullies, usually after school and in places on their body that wouldn’t show, something she’d learned from Twin and Pimp Dealer. When the school called Twin and asked that she come in for a parent-counselor meeting about Niecy, she blew it off. After all, Niecy was winning all her fights, so what was the deal?

Twin had bigger problems to deal with. Not just was maintaining the townhome a major pain, she wasn’t about to ask Lover for anything else. As it was he was giving her money every month until she could “get on her feet.” She knew what he meant by that; he wanted her to go to school, to get her GED and learn a new trade. But one night, lonely, scared, in withdrawal from the drugs she was trying to quit on her own and with some of that month’s money in her purse, she parked Niecy over at the Mansion for a sleepover and went out by herself.

She knew what part of town she wanted to go to. She wanted some action, some good stuff. That didn’t just mean the drugs. She wanted to talk to people who knew her “language,” who would understand. She wanted a man to tell her how beautiful she was, even if it was only for 15 minutes. She wanted that feeling of knowing just how much she was worth, a double-edged sword. And yeah, she wanted to get high—not much, not necessarily the hard stuff, but some weed, maybe a little coke. That’s really all she wanted—just to feel good again, to feel like she knew what she was doing.

At first it was hard for her to hook up. The ladies didn’t like a new girl on their turf, so Twin had to prove herself in a back alley with a New Pimp and some of his male and female friends. She did everything she was told to do. Then, after she demonstrated the ability to take a few punches, she was in.

Good buzz got her introduced on the track. It wasn’t so bad. There was plenty of “bidness” to be had. Plus the cops didn’t seem to mind; the fact was that the cops had noticed her right away as not one of the regulars. After a few nights she and New Pimp paid some “homage” to them and they didn’t bother her anymore.

One thing Reporter had been right about. The weather was better and there was more money to be had. The weed was better, too. So was the coke. All ‘round Twin finally felt like she was home.

“Mommie, how come you let me stay over with Son and Daughter so much?” Niecy asked one morning, stuffing her backpack for school.

“Why you askin’ me ‘bout that, girl?” Twin demanded, reminding Niecy of that “Mommie” back from where they’d left. “You just keep on doing what you doing. You stay out my bidness, you understand? Don’tchu worry ‘bout me.”

Niecy was worried, though. Twin was beginning to look like she’d looked back in Prince George’s county. She was sure she smelled weed on Mommie, too, but she knew better than to push. It was just that Mommie had been so happy when they’d first met Uncle Lover and his husband Dunc, the Rock Star (“Dunc” was her combination of “Dad” and “Uncle”). She’d cleaned herself up and was starting to talk about going to school to learn how to be a beautician. Niecy was so proud of her. So was Uncle Lover. And when Mommie’s younger siblings came to see them, Niecy had finally learned what family was all about.

There were nights when she still woke up with nightmares about the life they’d left behind. She’d dream about Mommie leaving her alone all night. She’d dream about Pimp Dealer and his “friends” coming after her. She dreamed about there being no food in the refrigerator and how bad everything (and everyone) smelled, the rats and the roaches. Then she’d wake up screaming and crying but Mommie wouldn’t be there.

It didn’t matter that now she had her own bedroom that she’d decorated herself and that there were new clothes in her closet and her own computer and good food to eat. Or that she was becoming a really good student and leader, not feeling like she had to fight everybody all the time. She was making friends, real friends. She’d even heard her teacher and the principal talking about promoting her to the “special class” in the next grade, she’d caught up so fast in her studies.

But that was another meeting Twin had blown off, so Niecy stayed where she was even though she’d passed all of her tests to be put in that next grade.

Unfortunately, in a way Niecy was becoming head of the household, too. She made sure that most things got done the way they should. When she got home from school, she was the one who washed the dishes and did the laundry and made sure everything was picked up around the apartment. It was a big job for a nine-year-old first-grader. Mommie just slept all day.

That was until Uncle Lover stopped by for a visit one evening while she was heating up some soup and doing the ironing. Mommie wasn’t home and Niecy didn’t know where she was or when she’d be back.